1. Field of the invention:
The present invention relates to a cinnamamide derivative and the salts thereof, which are novel compounds possessing antihyperlipidemic activities in addition to being useful as intermediates for many other organic compounds; and an antihyperlipidemic composition or antiarteriosclerotic composition comprising the aforementioned substance as an active ingredient.
2. Description of the prior art:
Arteriosclerosis is one of the most widespread human diseases at the present time, and it is known that arteriosclerosis is one of the main contributing factors in angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction and many other grave disorders. One of the principal causative factors of arteriosclerosis is hyperlipidemia.
As is well known, serum lipid concentrations, particularly serum cholesterol levels, are very closely related with the occurrence of arteriosclerosis. Serum cholesterol is classified into categories such as LDL (i.e., low density lipoprotein) and HDL (i.e., high density lipoprotein). The presence of LDL-cholesterol promotes the deposition of cholesterol onto the arterial walls, however, HDL-cholesterol transports excess cholesterol from the peripheral blood vessels and returns this cholesterol to the liver, thereby preventing the deposition of cholesterol onto the arterial walls. Thus, the susceptibility of the arterial walls to the accumulation of cholesterol is governed by the total serum cholesterol concentration and by the ratio of LDL to HDL. Therefore, an antihyperlipidemic agent which serves to reduce serum cholesterol levels, particularly LDL-cholesterol levels, is an important desideratum in the medical field.
In general, in many cases antihyperlipidemic agents are administered over a prolonged period, and are therefore required to be of high safety. However, existing drugs in this category, for example, clofibrate, entail serious side effects such as liver damage, therefore, they are not adequately safe.